





















LETTERS 


FROM 


THE HON. HENRY WODEHOUSE, 


Late Secretary of Her Majesty's Legation at Athens. 


1870 - 71 . 


LONDON: 

PRINTED FOR PRIVATE CIRCULATION. 


1874 . 






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These letters, written from Paris and Versailles 
in the course of the nine months which intervened 
between the defeat of the French armies before Metz 
and the fall of the Commune, have been printed for 
presentation do Henry Wodehouse’s friends, in the 
hope that they will be valued not only as a memorial 
of him, but also as records of an eventful period. 

Some extracts from his' diary and a few other 
papers have been added to complete the narrative. 


Mr. Wodehouse returned to Paris from leave of 
absence a few days before the surrender at Sddan 
and the fall of the Empire. After the departure of 
Lord Lyons to Tours on the 17th of September, he 
remained in charge of the Embassy, all the other 
members of it having left Paris, with the exception 



IV 


of Colonel Claremont and Captain Hore, the Military 
and Naval Attaches. On the 8th of November 
Mr. Wodehouse, acting under instructions from Her 
Majesty’s Government, left Paris with a number of 
British subjects for whose exit permission had been 
obtained from the Prussian authorities. He passed 
through the French and German lines to Versailles 
and arrived in London on the 18th of November. 
He'remained in England until the 10th of February, 
1871, when, an armistice having been concluded 
between France and Germany, he was ordered to return 
to Paris, where he arrived in time to witness the entry 
of the German troops. On the establishment of the 
Commune and the retreat of the Government from 
Paris, Mr. Wodehouse accompanied Lord Lyons to 
Versailles. He remained there during the military 
operations carried on by M. Thiers’ Government 
against the Commune, and returned to Paris after its 
capture by the army of Versailles. 


London, January 1874. 


P. C. 



My dear Philip, Paris, August 28., 1870. 

I duly arrived last night. The stations were full 
of troops starting—I believe, 4th battalions of old 
soldiers—they were not very gay, hut they looked like 
business. Paris is quiet, the people look rather 
dejected, but they evidently do not at all think they 
are beaten yet, and are confident of being able to 
defend Paris; the fortifications are ready, and there 
seems to be no want of defenders of one sort or the 
other; the streets are full of men in uniforms of every 
description, and there are some carrying muskets, 
who are dressed in ordinary blouses,—I suppose they 
are National Guards. I hear the Bois is quite full of 
cattle and sheep, and they say there are provisions 
enough in Paris for a month at least. Sanguine 
people think that the Crown Prince is rushing to his 
destruction, and are sorry at the report this afternoon 
that he is retiring. Everything is going on much as 
usual, the cafes and restaurants open and pretty full, 


2 


but there is an absence of the fldneur element, and 
very few carriages and no cocottes and crevSs to be 
seen; every one looks grave and pre-occupied, and all 
day there are carts and cabs passing laden with 
furniture and household effects. The Bois is not cut 
down, but thinned in parts, and the entrances are 
walled up. We thought this morning that the 
Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Embassies would 
leave for Bourges, a place in the middle of France, 
but it appears that La Tour d’Auvergne has announced 
his intention of staying, whatever happens. I confess 
I would rather depart, for it is too sad here; the 
spectacle of these poor people trying not to look 
humiliated is navrant , and besides they look very 
suspiciously at all foreigners and are fearfully irritated 
against England—all the doing of the English news¬ 
papers. What with passports and other work, we 
are kept at work from morning till night, but it is on 
the whole a good thing as there is nothing on earth 
else to do; the Bois closed, the Tennis Court shut, 
and no one seems to like going to the clubs or into 
society of any kind where one meets the natives, and 
of course there are very few foreigners left. The 
cocottes have mostly taken flight some time ago, the 
cafis chantants still go on but are half empty, and the 
English Alhambra Company drags on a miserable 
existence at the Chatelet; it is under the management 
of Strange, and has been open a fortnight only—a 
profitable speculation! I breakfasted at Bignon’s; 


3 


tlie bourgeois* was actually himself on guard to-day 
as a national stdenlaire. Henrrf and all the others 
were there as usual; they are also Nationals, but have 
not been out yet. Henri was pale but firm; he said 
they had as much to do as usual, and there was no 
difficulty about provisions, the prices exactly as 
usual. The Embassy is besieged by Britishers, male 
and female, in a most agitated state, asking what 
they are to do, and what will become of them and 
their property in the event of the Prussians, or, what 
is quite as likely, a revolution. However, I don’t 
think there is any appearance of a row yet; a large 
number of the vagabond class have been turned out, 
and there must be soldiers and sailors enough to 
keep order. No one says or cares anything about the 
Emperor, it is evidently all over with him whatever 
happens; they say he is perfectly calm. 

Your affectionate, 

Henry Wodehouse. 


My dear Philip, Paris, August 30, 1870. 

I had not a minute to write to you yesterday; 
the work was uninterrupted all day, from 9 in the 
morning' till 7, besides telegrams at night. I am 

* M. Bignon, proprietor of the Restaurant, at the corner of the 
Rue de la Chaussee d’Antin. 

f The well-known head-waiter at the same establishment. 

B 2 



4 


rather amused at hearing of M.-having got oh 

going to fight on the plea that he is the only support 
of an aged mother. 


August 31. 

The exodus and dtm6nagement still continue, and 
the number of troops passing and repassing is won¬ 
derful: they are mostly I fancy old soldiers, at all events 
they are certainly not raw recruits. I cannot believe 
it is all up with the French, and if there is anything 
like the number of troops they say with MacMahon 
and Bazaine, they may yet gain a victory before Metz. 
Every day gained now is evidently an immense 
advantage to them, and if all these preparations had 
been made before the war began, the history of the 
war would have been different. The question now is 
whether it is too late; I think not, if they are deter¬ 
mined to fight to the last, but, if so, they must make 
up their minds to the possibility of Paris being taken, 
and prepare to continue the war in other parts of 
France. The forts will no doubt hold out for some time, 
but 1 cannot conceive it possible to hold the fortifica¬ 
tions, as Paris would then be all burnt in no time. 
Lord Lyons is quite in his element with all this work; 
he makes no change, and drives in his open carriage 
with the stepping horses as usual; he says that the 
only difference which will be made in the Embassy 
is, that when the siege has begun, the servants will be 
allowed to wait at dinner in trowsers. He has to day 


5 


seen the Empress, and says that her attitude under 
the present circumstances is perfect, just what it 
ought to be. I had a sort of return of my old attacks 
on Monday night, I suppose in consequence of the 
fatigue during the day, and being rather out of sorts 
after a rough passage across on Saturday. It was not 
a bad one, but I was kept awake all night, and had an 
opportunity of observing the movement going on, 
perpetual strings of carts passing my windows with¬ 
out cessation till morning. I have not had time to go 
to the Bois ; they say it is a wonderful sight, thousands 
of cattle and sheep taking up the whole place. 
Julienne* has been here in a dreadful state of mind. 
I got Philippe’s passport visS by the Americans, 
and advised him to be off at once, he was to go to 
England to day. The son has decided to remain and 
be a Frenchman, and I sent him and Julienne off to 
to day with a letter to the Prefecture de Police, by 
means of which I hope he will get a permit from the 
Governor of Paris. It appears that his place at the 
Hotel de Bade is better than the one chez Trombetta 
at Turin, and he was ill and unwilling to expatriate 
himself, or rather to become a German and bolt, which 
was the only alternative. I don’t know when I shall 
have time to go to the curiosity shops, but tell 
Bertram I have not forgotten his commission. I hope 
the Britishers have mostly departed; there were 

* The French housekeeper of Mr. F. G. Currie, married to a 
German. 


6 


fewer to day, and at all events the most distracted 
ones have already fled; the trains will soon cease run¬ 
ning to Calais—last night no luggage was allowed to 
be taken. I shall be very glad when this part of the 
business is over, as the noise made by these people 
all day is distracting, and dealing with them is 
very trying to the temper, and very often to decide 
whether they are to have passports or not is no 
easy matter. There was a report of Uhlans having 
been seen at Melun, not far from Paris, but I don’t 
believe it; all sorts of stories are put about, and 
no one seems to know anything for certain. I 
hear Arago, the irrtconciliable, said the other night 
that, if the Emperor gained a victory, he would 
recover his position yet, which surprises me, but any¬ 
thing is possible in this country. 

Your affectionate, 

Henry Wodehouse. 


Dear Philip, Paris, September 4, 1870. 

I have been trying to find a minute to sit down 
to write you the news for several days past, and now 
events have gone so fast that I don’t know where to 
begin. Yesterday the situation was most extra¬ 
ordinary. We got your telegram announcing the 
collapse at about three o’clock in the afternoon, and 
the news was not known here till the evening * in 



7 


the meantime people went on saying that it was 
going to be all right; that the armies must be victo¬ 
rious, but that nothing decisive had yet taken place. 
Under the circumstances, this sustained attempt at 
swagger is very painful to witness. 

There were some rows on the Boulevards last 
night, and I hear the police used their revolvers 
freely, and several people were killed. I walked 
about a little in the evening, but saw po. disturbance, 
beyond crowds of ragamuffins parading the streets 
and shouting “ Yive Trochu, a bas les Prussiens, 
&c. I am rather shy about going about, as it would 
be no joke being arrested as a spy. Numbers of 
Britishers have been taken up, and we have infinite 
trouble in getting them out. One unfortunate wretch 
was arrested twice; the second time he was con¬ 
vinced he was about to be shot, and had written an 
adieu to his wife in the lining of his hat. Sala, the 
“ Daily Telegraph” correspondent, was bagged last 
night at the Cafe du Helder. Saumarez has just 
been to the Prefecture and got him out; he was in a 
piteous state, having been ill-used by his fellow- 
prisoners in the cells during the night. His papers 
which he had with him were en rigle, but no one paid 
any attention to them. We wanted to sup the night 
before last, and went to the Cafe Anglais, having 
found the Trois Preres shut up! We seemed to be 
the only people there, and the Boulevards were 
empty—a wonderful contrast to the usual scene there. 


8 


Sunday afternoon. 

The scene in the Chamber seems to have been 
most extraordinary. The mob broke in, and the 
Ministers, President, and the Members of the Right 
bolted. Gambetta and others of the Left tried to 
keep the doors shut, and push the people out, 
to no purpose, and at last a dirty, wild-looking 
ruffian got into the President’s chair, but Gambetta 
and two National Guards seized him, and threw 
him down below. Every one shouted “Vive la 
Republique !” and Gambetta, Jules Favre, and others, 
tried to speak, but were unable to make themselves 
heard. I do not know yet how all this came to 
an end. All the day the Boulevards have been full 
of people shouting and yelling, Mobiles, Gardes 
Nationaux, soldiers of the line, Francs Tireurs, and 
Blouses, mixed up together; every one seems de¬ 
lighted, and it is like a great fete day. Heaven 
knows what will happen in the night, but I should 
hardly think it can pass over peaceably without the 
roughs improving the occasion. They say the 
Empress is gone to Chimay, in Belgium, to join poor 
little Louis. I hope she is, poor woman, for she 
can do nothing here now. She might have made an 
appeal to the people or the Chamber this morning, 
but now it is too late to attempt it, and this ginger¬ 
bread Empire has fallen like a pack of cards. Of 
course, there is -to be no question of peace. I sus¬ 
pect a good many wish for it, but are afraid to say 


9 


so; so, if they are mad enough to go on with the 
war, I suppose we shall see Paris a mass of 
ruins, like Strasbourg, before many days are over. 
“Traitres” and “espions” are the favourite words now. 
England is supposed to have had something to do 
with it, and some of these ignorant brutes even have 
gone so far as to say and believe that English and 
other foreign armies came up to assist the Prussians 
in the last fights. The mob have made short work 
already of the Imperial insignia; they have even cut 
the heads off two Imperial eagles in front of the 
Minist&re de la Marine ! It is an interesting 
moment, I might even say tmouvant. I found 
Lord Lyons in the midst of the excitement, when the 
people were trooping back from the Corps Legislatif, 
engaged in the composition of a despatch on Tunisian 
finance! Tell Bertram I have been the rounds of 
the bric-a-brac shops; they have not abated their 
prices; the moment will perhaps come later. Miallet 
declined to take a centime less than 14,000 francs 
for his tapestry. I shall go to see the citoyen Bignon 
this evening. Durand’s was shut this morning, but I 
shall expect to find the valiant Henri at his post. 

Your affectionate, 

Henry Wodehouse. 



10 


Dear Philip, Paris , September 6, 1870. 

I see that we have orders to stay and see it 
out. I suppose the fun will soon begin. I can¬ 
not believe that it will last long; the people 
are already beginning to cry out that they are 
betrayed, and have no guns or ammunition, and 
that their cartridges are made of sand, &c. There 
is a great deal of marching and singing and spy- 
catching still; but there are more gloomy faces, 
and no wonder. A tall Irish priest, dressed 
something like an Anabaptist in the Prophdte, was 
brought to the Embassy this morning * by two 
armed patriots. I gave him a passport, and got 
them to release him. I have succeeded in getting 
a pass from Trochu, which is a comfort, as it 
really was not safe to go about without one. We 
are still beset all day by British subjects .in great 
distress; women crying, and asking to be allowed 
to send their valuables to the Embassy, which we 
refuse to permit, as Lord Lyons has decided that, if 
things were known to be stored here, it would make 
the Embassy an object for pillage. I don’t know 
whether I told you that Dr. * * * *, who was sent 
by the Government to inspect hospitals, was arrested 
as a spy, but let out again, after a short detention by 


11 


the police. It was not wonderful, as he can’t speak 
a word of French ! No time for more. 

Your affectionate, 

Henry Wodehouse. 

P.S. I suppose this is the last time the messenger 
will be able to go by rail to Calais. 


Gouvernement de la Defense Nationale. 


Sauf-Conduit 

delivre a Monsieur Wodehouse, 2me Secretaire a 
l’Ambassade d’Angleterre a Paris. 

A Paris, le 5 Septembre, 1870. 

Le President du Gouvernement, 
Gouverneur de Paris, 
(Signe) Trochu. 

( Le Gouverneur\ 
de 

Pans. / 





12 


Dear Philip, Paris, September 7, 1870. 

Lord Lyons’ despatches and Claremont’s will tell 
you the state of things here. It is too melancholy. 
To-day it has been raining incessantly, and the dirty, 
demoralized appearance of the soldiers is pitiable. 

The best chance for Paris is that the Prussians 
should come in as soon as possible; they say that 
the roughs of Belleville have been kept quiet with 
the promise that they shall have plenty of pillaging 
when the National Guards are on the ramparts. The 
Embassy will have a bad chance in that case, as the 
“Liberty” has had the kindness to state that there are 
immense stores of valuables in it belonging to British 
subjects. There are lots of people here who have 
been with the armies: their accounts are horrible ; 
they seem all to agree that in the last engagements 
the French were completely demoralized. 

Your affectionate. 

Henry Wodehouse. 


My dear Mother, Paris, September 7, 1870. 

It is not yet decided when we are to leave, but I 
don’t expect that we shall have to remain when the 
siege begins. We are sure to be able to get out safe. 



13 


but I fancy we shall have to leave by road. Most of 
the lines are already cut. There have been no dis¬ 
orders in Paris yet, but the defenders look very much 
demoralized, and I doubt their holding; out long 
when the siege begins. I only hope they may be 
kept quiet, and agree to terms with the Prussians. 
All agree that the defence is hopeless, but no one 
cares to avow it. Paris is a sad spectacle. 

No time for more. 

Your most affectionate, 

Henry Wodehouse. 


My dear Philip, Paris , September 10, 1870. 

All watering has ceased to-day, and Paris is like 
the desert of Sahara. There is no want of defenders, 
at any rate ; every other man one meets is armed or 
accoutred in some fashion. I begin to think we shall 
make a good fight of it. L * * *, who knows every¬ 
thing, informs us that the Empress is still in Paris, 
but we have known for some days what I believe to 
be the authentic story. She passed Sunday night at 
the house of a friend, and left on Monday morning 
for Deauville, where she got on board an English 
yacht. Have you seen Sala’s account in yesterday’s 
“ Telegraph,” of his capture and release by the 



14 


“Captain?”* Bowles, of “Vanity Bair,” who corre¬ 
sponds for the “ Globe,” has just been here; he was 
caught outside the town by some cavalry soldiers 
this morning, and taken into one of the forts, hut 
they were civil, and released him, after examination 
by the Commandant. When the crowd forced their 
way into the Tuileries’ gardens on Sunday Lesseps 
happened to he there, and he says that, knowing 
something of the advantages of a canal, he suggested 
that it would he advisable to open the gates in the 
centre of the palace, which was done, and the stream 
passed through accordingly into the Place du Car¬ 
rousel, and no injury was done. Eather a good bon 
mSt. Pleury is reported to have said, when he heard 

of the collapse, “ Enfin nous sommes f-s, mais 

nous nous sommes bien amus4s pendant vingt 
ans ” The walls are covered with proclamations and 
notices of all kinds, amongst others the following 
lively ones—that the theatres are shut, and turned 
into hospitals, and that the cemeteries in the town, 
which had been closed, are now re-opened. To-day 
there seems to he a lull in the work; hitherto we 
have been writing every day and all day for our 
lives. Some of the applications which have been 
made to the Embassy are droll enough: one gentle¬ 
man states, in claiming a passport, that he is seventy 
years old and six feet high! Another demands a 
flag from the Embassy, hut says he will dispense 

# Hon. J. Saumarez, Attache to the Embassy. 



15 


with the staff. A few soldiers—about 300 Zouaves 
and some officers—cut their way through from Sedan, 
and have arrived here, amongst others, a friend of 
Claremont. It is said that MacMahon was reluctant 
to make the attempt to relieve Bazaine, but received 
positive orders to do so from Palikao; he would have 
given it up and retreated from Mezieres, but Palikao 
insisted on his going on. 

Your affectionate, 

Henry Wodehouse. 


Dear Philip, Paris, September 13, 1870. 

I have no time to write; Malet being off to see 
Bismarck, and the married men, Lascelles and Atlee, 
having been sent out of range to their families, we 
are reduced to three. 

Your affectionate, 

Henry Wodehouse. 


My dear Philip, Paris, September 15, 1870. 

The monotony of our life goes on as usual; nothing 
but work, work, inside the Embassy, and drill, drill, 
outside. It makes me quite sick to see these poor 




16 


devils being prepared for the shambles. All through 
the day it goes on in every corner of Paris. They 
are mostly provincials, good-looking youths enough, 
very simple-looking, and quiet and well-behaved, and 
no doubt in a short time they would make excellent 
troops ; but at present they are an armed mob at the 
best. Many at the review had positively no arms at 
all, others rifles, some few Chassepots. They are, 
moreover, most deficient in officers. I see many of 
my friends amongst them, who say themselves they 
know but little about it ; and as for generals, I 
believe there are positively only four in Paris, and 
those, except Trochu, old cripples. I hear, also, but 
poor accounts of the forts and of the artillery in them. 
Altogether, I am not sanguine for poor Paris. The 
wise thing to do, or rather to have done, would seem 
to be to retire behind the Loire, and organize these 
masses, leaving Paris deserted, and more or less a 
burden to the Prussians; but that, of course, every 
one knows was not to be done, especially by the pre¬ 
sent Government. Paris is supposed, as it always has 
been, to represent Prance, and the present Govern¬ 
ment is essentially a Paris one. It looks as if there 
was to be a second massacre of the innocents on their 
account, in the same way as MacMahon’s hopeless 
attempt was a desperate effort to save the Empire. 
Julienne is very funny about two Mobiles from 
St. Malo, who are quartered chez Bitters,* and she 


* Mr. F. G. Currie. 


17 


says they are trte pieux and very dirty, and she has 
been obliged to provide each with a spittoon, which 
they carry about under their arms when in the house. 
They look upon themselves as doomed, and are only 
anxious to be properly communits, and ready for 
their fate. Yesterday they told her they were 
ordered away to the forts, and took leave'of her, with 
the request that she would write to their families if 
they did not come back; they also told her that 
they were ordered to leave their rifles behind; it had 
not struck them that it would be more likely that 
they would have to take them, when sent to face the 
enemy. They said they had passed the General 
(Trochu) in review, but what had struck them most 
were the large number of splendidly-uniformed 
Generals (the mounted National Guard), who are 
most fantastic-looking lancers, with purple plumes, 
quite a la bal de Vopera. 

The rest of the National Guard Sddentaire are now 
receiving their muskets; all our old friends, the 
waiters, are amongst the number. People are already 
beginning to say that the worst will not be over with 
the war, and think a further revolution inevitable. 
At present the Eepublicans have it all their own 
way, but it seems more than probable that the Impe¬ 
rialists would still have a majority in a Constituent 
Assembly. 

The Prussians are, I hear, close by, at Joinville, 
near the Vincennes race-course, and I have just seen 

c 


18 


a whole corps tVarmte going in that direction, down 
the Bue de Bivoli. One knows they have brought it 
on themselves, hut it is impossible, living here, not 
to sympathize with the Frenchmen. I am so exaspe¬ 
rated with the Times , which seems to exult over the 
Frenchmen’s miseries. As for the Daily News, it is, 
at all events, consistent; but (though of course I know 
it is not so) it is almost impossible when one reads it 
here to believe that it is not in the pay of the Prus¬ 
sians, and I am not surprised the French think so. 
We hear Malet has got safely into the Prussian 
lines; of course his mission has now been forestalled. 
The messenger has not come in to-day from London. 
I suppose the line is up in some place. Early this 
morning, most people were woke by the blowing up 
of the bridge at Asnieres; I, however, slept through 
it. After ten hours’ Chancery one sleeps sound. 

Your affectionate, 

Henry Wo dehouse. 


Paris, September 18, 1870, 

10 P.M. 

1 write this letter to explain what has taken place 
here since the departure of Lord Lyons last night, on 
the chance of its reaching you through the post, as I 
have just learnt, on inquiry at the Central Post 



19 


Office, that the authorities do not refuse to take 
letters, though they can only give me faint hopes of 
being able to transmit them. 

I went early this morning to the Minist&re des 
Affaires Etrangeres, having previously sent to the 
different stations to inquire whether any trains would 
leave Paris. The messenger whom I had sent to the 
station of the Chartres Pailway, which is a long way 
from the Embassy, brought me back word, a little 
before three o’clock, that a train would, it was hoped, 
start at five o’clock, but that it would probably be the 
last, as it was reported that the Prussian cavalry had 
made their appearance near the station at Versailles; 
all the other lines of railway from Paris were cut. 
As Lord Lyons had desired me to send the Queen’s 
messenger back to London to-day, if possible, I 
thought it better to start him off at once with what I 
had to send at the moment. The messenger left the 
Embassy at four o’clock, and the train started at five, 
with a pilot-engine ahead of it, to see that the way 
was clear. As I have heard no more of him, I 
conclude that he has got away safely. 

Lord Lyons instructed me to leave Paris in the 
event of its being threatened with a bombardment, 
or if there is any other imminent danger, and to do 
my utmost to obtain a safe passage out of Paris 
for all British subjects. I do not anticipate that 
there will be any difficulty in doing so, and it will 
probably be easier to effect a safe retreat if the German 

c 2 


20 


troops are in position round the town. We are more 
afraid of internal disturbances, but at present all is 
quiet, and I hope that, as far as we are concerned, all 
will go well. 

Henry Wodehouse. 

P.S.—The American, Swiss, Belgian, Swedish, and 
other Ministers are still here; also one of the Austrian 
Secretaries, and the Russian and Austrian Military- 
Attaches; the rest of the Austrian and Russian 
Embassies are gone to Tours. 


Paris, September 18, 1870, 
Dear Philip, 4 p.m. 

I have just heard that the last train is on the 
point of leaving. 

Write to my mother, and say I am quite well, and 
that I shall come away, according to my instructions, 
before a bombardment takes place. 

Your affectionate,. 

Henry Wodehouse. 

I send the messenger more to get him away than 
for the sake of the contents of my despatches. 




21 


Diary. 

September 20.—Went early in the morning to the 
Prefecture de Police to get out Dr. M. . . . Waited 
for an hour in the room of the Secretaire-General, who 
received a great many visitors. Conversed with the 
Commandant of the Garde de Paris, who told me that 
the former Sergents de Ville are formed into a regi¬ 
ment, and that a certain Madame de Sienne, a good- 
looking lady— marine, mods sdparde de son mari —has 
asked for a permit to allow her to fight on the ramparts 
in men’s clothes. Dr. M. . . . at last found and re¬ 
leased; had been in prison eight days. Visits all day ; 
declined to find sauf-conduits for two persons who want 
to make their way out of Paris. Dr. Wyatt and Herbert 
arrested; rescued them from the Mairie. Mobile, 
who accompanied me, begins to doubt about the 
patriotic feeling of Paris; more British subjects 
and diplomats, amongst others the Nonce, who 
asks for news, says he does not know in whose 
possession Eome now is. Consoled some old ladies. 
Dined with Moltke ; met Marquis D., who described 
his journey to Meudon, with a despatch for the 
Emperor from the Minister of War. He arrived, 
knowing nothing of the capitulation, and was 
astonished at finding numerous friends, who told 
him that they were prisoners: in the ante-room 


22 


Lynar and Hatzfeldt: found the Emperor smoking 
cigarettes, covered with decorations, abusing every 
one; D. thinks the Emperor meant to return to 
Paris. He was indignant when the Emperor told 
him that he had been made very comfortable by the 
King of Prussia. 

The Prussian bivouac fires are visible from the 
Trocadero. 

September 21.—Received the visits of several 
Englishmen engaged in the French service, amongst 
others Sir Culling Eardley; also Captain de Rohan, 
an ex-Garibaldian, who finds that the Nationals 
are better than the Mobiles, and thinks that Fort 
Valerien will easily be taken. The Mobiles have 
in most cases re-elected their old officers. Fancy 
drilling goes on in the Champs Elysees; tclaireurs 
conceal themselves behind the trees and caffe 
chantants; an elderly gentleman in command, in 
an ordinary dress, with a musket, crouching behind 
a tree, as if he was lying in wait for a rabbit, shouts 
“ Eclairez k gauche,” and others emerge from the 
cafi chantant , and take aim at the horses on the 
merrjr-go-round. 

September 22.—Five British subjects attempted 
to leave Paris, but were stopped at the Porte Maillot 
for want of a pass from General Trochu. They will 


23 


go, if possible, to-morrow. Captain de Bohan wants 
to leave Paris. Meeting in the Place de la Con¬ 
corde ; the Reds want Louis Blanc, Blanqui, and 
others, to be made members of the Government. 
They seem to be in a minority. Their meeting at 
the Folies Bergeres was a failure, nearly all the 
audience crying “ Vive Favre, Gambetta, et Com- 
pagnie!” 

Got a pass for the five Britishers from Trochu, 
through d’lresin ; started them from Bignon’s, where 
I dined. Of the people one meets, 99 out of 100 say 
that the defence of Paris is impossible: “ II faut 
mourir pour Thonneur de la France.” Since the 
Prussians have taken the heights of Chatillon, which 
command the two forts, Yanves and Montrouge, they 
can take them easily, and thence bombard the fortifi¬ 
cations. 

Claremont thinks the complete quiet of to-day 
very ominous; the Prussians are not likely to go to 
sleep, and we shall soon hear of them. 


By Balloon. 

My dear Philip, Paris, September 23. 

I write a line on the chance of its reaching you, to 
say that we are all well, but getting rather bored. I 
hoped to be able to send the messenger to-morrow, 
but do not think now it is safe to do so; so I shall 



24 


not attempt it. Send my love and news of me to 
my mother. 

Your affectionate, 

Henry Wodehouse. 


Diary. 

September 23.—M. Favre’s Circular on interview 
with Bismarck appeared in Journal Officiel; cannon¬ 
ading on the side of Chatillon since four this morn¬ 
ing ; went to meeting of Corps Diplomatique at the 
Nuncio’s; decided not to send Messenger Johnson to 
London, as I cannot get a flag of truce and parle- 
mentaire from General Trochu; news of battle of 
Ville Juif; great exaggerations as to what had taken 
place; 35,000 prisoners dwindled by evening to 0. 
Quels blagueurs! The Emperor, who has been for 
some time called “miserable coquin,” is now spoken 
of as " lugubre histriom” 

September 24.—Distressed Britishers all day, some 
in very bad plight; marriage at the Embassy; five 
Britishers started for the outer world; passed the 
afternoon trying to see M. Favre, who had sent for 
me about the answer from Bismarck; came back and 
saw him at a quarter to seven; all the caffs shut at 
half-past ten; great crowds till that time on the 
Boulevards. 



25 


September 25.—Very quiet all day; beautiful 
weather, and the garden a great resource. 

September 26.—Engaged in getting sauf-conduits 
and parlementaire for the courier, assisted by 
Mr. Wasliburne. 


By Balloon. 

My dear Mother, Paris, September 25, 1870. 

If this reaches you, you will be glad to hear that 
I am quite well. The position is interesting, as you 
may suppose, but it will become tedious if it lasts 
too long. Of course I can’t tell you any news, as I 
do not know what may become of this letter. I may 
have some better means of communication later, and, 
if so, I shall trust Philip to send you the news, as I 
have not much time for writing letters. 

Your most affectionate, 

Henry Wodehouse. 


My dear Philip, Paris, September 26, 1870. 

You must try and excuse my shortcomings. I 
have been so overwhelmed with work—distressed 
British subjects, some nearly starving, all alarmed, 
many arrested, and a few married!—have taken up 
nearly all my time, and for some days I had hardly 
time to eat and sleep. Thank heavens, it has been 




26 


quieter for the last day or two, or I think I should 
have gone crazy. I suppose the excitement kept me 
going. I shall now, I suppose, get bored, as every 
one else is who is not fighting, shut up as we are, and 
knowing nothing of what is going on outside. It is 
a very extraordinary position to be in. I have been 
dying to send off the messenger for days past, but I 
have been afraid to do so without a flag of truce, 
though I don’t believe there would be any real 
danger in getting out, but to come back would be 
very much more difficult, on account of the francs 
tireurs and marauders who are about between the 
armies. They seem to have got tired of arresting 
people the last few days; nobody has said a word to 
me, but I never speak to any one, or stand still, 
staring about me, and I carry about all kinds of 
passes and letters in case of accidents. I cannot 
describe the extraordinary state Paris is in. Dust 
and drilling are the principal features: the Champs 
Elysees are in an awful state. I have been too much 
harassed with the multitude of different things I 
have to do to write.as I should have wished. I have 
found it hopeless to try and manufacture despatches 
from day to day, which I had no hope of being able 
to send. I think I shall now stick mainly to private 
letters, and try to send them by the balloons. Pray 
do what you can in the way of communicating with 
my mother. Send her my letter, and give her an 
account of me. When I am not running about to 


27 


the different offices, I am at it, writing all day, and 
the copying is a dreadful bore. Claremont is a 
resource, but he is busy on his own account, and 
Hore is still very ill, though getting better. I do 
not know what we shall do about the British sub¬ 
jects ; there are above 300 in great distress, some 
starving. I have had great difficulty in getting off 
the messenger. I hope he will now go all right. I 
am so tired that I must conclude. I hope all will go 
well, and that it will be over soon. 

Your affectionate, 

Henry Wodehouse. 


Diary. 

September 27.— Dispatched Johnson: difficulties 
about carriage; he was stopped at the barriers, and 
had to return to the Ministry of War, but ultimately 
got off; great fire and tremendous smoke, said to be 
petroleum, near Montmartre; great distress beginning 
to arise; butchers’ shops closing. 

September 28.—As a good specimen of the stories 
which pass current here, it is asserted that the fire 
the day before yesterday was a holocaust of 10,000 
Prussians who had been sprinkled with petroleum in 
the Foret de Bondy. 




28 


My dear Philip, Paris , September 28, 1870. 

Since the messenger went I have been living in 
comparative peace and quietness; so I suppose I had 
better take the opportunity of beginning a line to 
you, though heaven knows when it may go. You 
cannot conceive the bother I had in getting the 
messenger away. I only hope he may get through 
all right; the most difficult part was the getting- 
out, and he was seen safely out on his road to the 
fort, where he was to find the flag of truce. They 
made a great bother about giving me a parlementaire , 
and I hope I may not have the same task on my 
hands again. By the way, it would interest the 
Cornet* to hear that I have just seen Eobert de 
l’Aigle on his way to mount guard. “ II avait Pair 
assez embete.” There has been complete quiet for 
some days past; the storm may, I suppose, be 
expected soon. Every one seems, however, to think 
that the Prussians would have had a better chance if 
they had been quicker about it; they will find the 
resistance a very different story to what it would 
have been a few days. ago. Even C * * * who 
generally is a croaker, thinks things are looking up 
decidedly for the Erench. It depends more than 
anything upon the action of the provinces, about 
which at present there is a good deal here left for the 
imagination. I continue to be very variously em¬ 
ployed ah day; yesterday, in the afternoon, I had a 

* The late Mr. Greville Sartoris. 


29 


semi-lunatic in custody of a dozen National Guards, 
and a deputation of British journalists on my hands 
at the same moment and in the same waiting-room. 
The meeting of Diplomats last week was very 
funny; Mr. Washburne made a great speech, begin¬ 
ning, “ The Nonce has con-voked the Di-plomatic 
Corpse,” which was most elegantly translated by his 
French dragoman, “ Son Eminence,” &c. I was very 
near making a neat speech myself on the spur of the 
moment, but I thought it was more becoming in my 
humble position only to deliver a few sentences. 
Mr. Washburne is a very jolly old fellow, and amuses 
me much. He told me yesterday that he had seen a 
spy arrested, who was dressed as an “ Invalide;” he 
said he was “ a regular German-looking fellow—a 
spectacle Dutchman ” 


September 29. 

The Prussians are intrenching themselves at St. 
Cloud and Versailles. I begin to fancy that a 
large part of their army has gone in some other 
direction. It is evident that the Government do 
not really know what is going on in the country; 
they publish every now and then a scrap of news, 
but if they had received even one messenger from 
Tours, it seems to me incredible that he should not 
at least have brought one newspaper to enlighten us. 
The papers publish wonderful accounts of meetings 
in Hyde Park, in which la papesse of England was 


30 


denounced amidst cries of “ h bas les Cobourgs,” &c. 
These fables remind me of the story of the Ameri¬ 
can newspaper, which removed its Paris correspon¬ 
dent to Vienna, in order that he might write with 
more imagination. There are difficulties already 
arising about the sale of meat, and most of the 
butchers’ shops are shut; the Government regulate 
the price and the number of beasts which are to be 
killed; at present their arrangements don’t succeed, 
and there is very little meat to be got, and great dis¬ 
satisfaction. Frost,* who is, like most Britishers of 
his class, accustomed, I suppose, to have his five or 
six meat repasts a day, is getting very gloomy on 
the subject. As far as I am concerned, I dine gene¬ 
rally at the club, and breakfast at the cafes, as usual, 
and see no change. I even have my butter and two 
fresh eggs in the morning: I am afraid to ask what 
they cost. As for the prices at the restaurants, there 
seems no difference. I suppose they were so exorbi¬ 
tant before that they remain the same for their, at 
present, very different customers, with greatly 
diminished profits I don’t doubt. Those robbers 
will never see the old golden times again. Poor 
Paris is fast losing her beauty, and even becoming 
filthy and unpleasant. Now that the paternal sway 
no longer keeps her in order, the real nature of the 
Gaul begins to show itself, and one admires all the 
more the genius of Haussman, the greatest man of 

* Mr. Wodehouse’s valet. 


31 


the second Empire. They even talk of pulling down 
the column in the Place Vendome ! and they seem to 
take a pleasure in spoiling everything they can, on 
the principle, I suppose, of cutting one’s nose off to 
spite one’s face. 


September 30. 

I have been round the town by the Circular 
Railway; the works did not strike me as being very 
solid. I was questioned by a National Guard who 
was in the carriage with me, but who, however, 
satisfied himself that I was an Englishman, without 
examining my papers. There has been fighting this 
morning near Ville Juif, and a good many wounded 
are being brought in. 

October 2. 

I must finish my letter rapidly, as I have just 
heard that I can send it through the Americans. I 
have just returned from Bignon’s; a capital dinner, 
considering the siege. Henri has been away on duty 
for two days; it is thought he will return “ avec 
moins de ventre.” The Boulevards were crowded, 
but what a change from former days; crowds of 
men and women—by the way, they say a good many 
of them have been to see the Prussians, and there is 
an order out on the subject. 

Your affectionate, 

Henry Wodehouse. 



32 


By Balloon. 

My dear Mother, Paris, October 1, 1870. 

I write yon a line to send by the Government 
balloon; I wonder whether it will ever reach you. 
This is the largest sized paper and envelope allowed; 
I am very well, but getting horribly bored; however, 
after all it is not quite so bad as the Hague. We 
have to day been shut up for a fortnight, and I need 
not tell you that it seems very long to us. I wonder 
what is going on elsewhere; I dare say the world is 
going on much as usual, but we shall have a deal to 
learn when we get out. One has an opportunity of 
experiencing what it must be to be a prisoner or to 
make a long sea voyage ; I confess I would rather be 
shooting partridges. My gun case which was put 
ready with my other luggage when I was to have 
started with the others, has been staring me in the 
face in bitter mockery outside my door ever since till 
to-day, when I have had it removed. Every one 
feels unsettled and disinclined to sit down to read or 
do anything, and I find that the time hangs very 
heavy when I have no Embassy business on hand. 
The weather continues very fine, and if it is as hot in 
England it must be warm work in the turnips. 

I hope my uncle is well again. 

Your most affectionate, 

Henry Wodehouse. 


33 


This is quite a schoolboy’s letter, and I have had 
a difficulty in filling even this small sheet ; you 
will of course understand why I am so prosy and 
uninteresting. If the Prussians get hold of it, they 
will think me very stupid, but I hope at least they 
will forward my letter. 


Diary. 

October 2.—General Burnside has arrived in Paris 
from the Prussian head-quarters. 

October 3.—They are evidently going to take Paris 
by famine; General Burnside says the Germans are 
living on the fat of the land. According to news from 
Bougival to-day they pay for everything in money. 

Ass on sale at the butchers’; in one shop is 
announced, “ Ane nomme Bismarck, &ge de 3 ans.” 


Dear Philip, Paris, October 4, 1870. 

Please arrange my newspaper extracts conven- 
ablement. They are interesting, particularly the one 
signed Rouher ; no news, we are getting very discon¬ 
solate ; I send these things by Prince Wittgenstein, 


D 




34 


Russian Military Attache, who goes to-morrow, and 
says he means to return. 

Frost finds the horse very sweet; ass is now a 
delicacy. 

Your affectionate, 

Henry Wodehouse. 


Diary. 

October 5.—Prince Wittgenstein, Russian Military 
Attache, made an attempt to get out by Creteil, but 
took the wrong road, and was not allowed by the 
Prussians to pass; he saw a reconnaissance made. 

M. Alfonso tried to get out also for the third time ; 
he ran risk in returning from the Mobiles, who were 
shooting at hares. 

October 6.—Another meeting of the Corps Dip¬ 
lomatique, they issued a mild note to Count Bismarck 
declining to send their despatches open. 

The Prussians go on intrenching thepiselves and 
the forts firing at them, I expect to little purpose. 

Wittgenstein started, went by Sevres, some diffi¬ 
culty in getting across; firing from the forts. 

October 7.—Bassemblements demanding the Com¬ 
mune ; Madame de V’s. leg of mutton seized by a 
National Guard, on its way from the butcher. Two 
British doctresses want to get away. 



35 


October 8.—Further meetings and demonstrations 
by the Reds. Mr. Worth says he is going to start in 
a balloon ; he has paid 5,000 francs. I don’t believe 
that Europe is admiring Paris. We shall not come 
out as heroes, but as the victims of a dreadful boredom. 
A report that Lord Lyons is gone to England. Gam- 
betta started yesterday in a balloon. Regulations for 
sale of horse flesh in Journal Officiel. 


My dear Philip, Paris, October 8, 1870. 

I send this by the Minister of Columbia in an open 
letter to Colonel Walker. I do not write to Lord 
Lyons, as I do not know where he may be at this 
moment; if in England please let him know that we 
are all right and have written many letters to him, 
some of which I hope have reached him. 

With bien des clioses to every one, 

Your affectionate, 

Henry Wodehouse. 


My dear Philip, Paris, October 9, 1870. 

I received a letter to day from Russell of the 
Times from Versailles, which was brought in by 
General Burnside; I interviewed the General this 
afternoon at Washburne’s house. As you may suppose, 

d 2 




36 


his second visit and the receipt of a letter are quite 
events for us. By the way, I asked Bussell in my 
answer to his letter, which goes hack by the General 
to-morrow, to try and open communication for me 
with you; he might have an opportunity, I should 
think, of sending me an open letter at least, or a 
newspaper; write him a line, they must have some 
way of getting letters from England, as they have, I 
know, the newspapers; hut Burnside unfortunately 
forgot to bring over one (the Standard of the 3rd) 
as he had intended. I see no prospect of the siege 
coming to an end for at least a month. The Prussians 
evidently don’t mean to attack, and though it is very 
likely there may he more serious rows here and even 
bloodshed they will be put down, and at present the 
agitators are quite in a minority. The same system 
as at Metz is apparently going to be pursued by the 
Prussians, but unless internal dissensions make it 
impossible, which I do not expect, Paris will hold out 
to the last extremity. Perhaps the terms eventually 
proposed may not be so unfavourable as. was made 
out in M. Favre’s circular, but I don’t think this 
Government would agree to any loss of territory; it 
will probably end in a great sortie, you will be able 
to guess with what result. My opinion of the 
Parisians I have already often told you, and I have 
no reason to modify it; the weather has changed, and 
it has been raining for the last two days; it must be 
unpleasant on the ramparts. The ballooners are very 


37 


active: I have written to my mother several times 
par ballon monU, I wonder whether she gets any of 
my letters. 

Your affectionate, 

Henry Wodehouse. 

As I write I hear them pounding away from Mont 
Valerien, and the noise is tremendous. 


My dear Philip, Paris, October 11, 1870. 

I must write you a line if it is only to tell you 
that Henri is growing a moustache ; I have just dined 
there, an excellent quail, and the Margaux is better 
than ever. If the Prussians read this it will make 
their mouths water; I wonder what they will think 
of Julienne’s correspondence, which I forward also to 
morrow by Hore—he goes to Tours. I have forgotten 
to tell you that I have had a letter from Cora Pearl’s 
neighbours, protesting against her hoisting the British 
flag. There is a story that one of the Ministers went 
to the Tuileries, and on his giving some instructions, 
he was told he must speak to the Commandant; the 
Minister accordingly sent for this functionary, who 
had been regularly installed since the 4th of Septem¬ 
ber, and asked him how he got there, and who 
had appointed him. “ Parbleu,” the Commandant 
answered, “ I appointed myself as you have done.” 



38 


I hope you will have got the letters I sent on the 
8th. 


Your affectionate, 

Henry Wodehouse. 


My dear Philip, Paris, October 13, 1870. 

We are very low; Colonel Loyd Lindsay has 
arrived from England, and did not even bring in 
a newspaper, and very little news of any kind; we 
seem to buried alive and forgotten. I send a private 
letter to Lord Granville, hut as we hear that Count 
Bismarck has notified to the Government that Paris 
is invested, and all communication must cease, I 
suppose it is no use trying to correspond any longer. 
We begin to think that even the dispatches sent by 
Johnson did not reach London, as a report to Lord 
Lucie on the subject of the International Ambulances 
from Wyatt which was in the bag, appears to have 
never reached its destination, and Lindsay knew 
nothing about it. I am getting more anxious about 
the British subjects; many clamour to get out, but it 
is impossible to do anything for them, except I were 
to address a note on the subject to Count Bismarck, 
which I should not do except in the greatest extremity, 
as I conclude the Government would take some steps 
in that direction if they wished an appeal to be made 



39 


to the Prussians on their behalf. The more impor¬ 
tant question, then, is to feed these unhappy people. 
The British Fund has provisions and money for a 
certain time, but one day these will come to an end, 
and whatever we do must be done at once, or there 
will be no more provisions to be had. I have made 
up my mind to assist them when their money is gone, 
and to take my chance of getting it back if I can; I 
have no doubt it will be all right, besides we have got 
some rich people here who will I dare say help us; 
of course the Fund do not know whether there have 
been more subscriptions in England since the be¬ 
ginning of the siege; they had about 600/. in hand, 
but you will see by the inclosed, that their prospects 
are not promising if the siege really lasts months, as 
is quite possible as far as we know. 

Pray let all this about the Fund be known if you 
can; I have written about it, and others the same, to 
people who it is thought will assist. I believe the 
Government did something, but it was before I 
returned, and I have got no archives, and so don’t 
know whether they authorized any further sum than 
what Lord Lyons gave to the Fund. I am afraid this 
is not a very lively letter, and rather illegible and 
incoherent, but I have been a good deal worried and 
pressed for time to day, so you must make the best 
of it. There is an idea that the Prussians are after 
all going to summon the town, upon what authority, 
or why it is spread about, I have not the remotest 


40 


notion. But anything is possible in our present state 
of ignorance. 

Your affectionate, 

Henry Wodehouse. 


Diary. 

October 15.—Colonel Loyd Lindsay returned to 
Versailles. M. Flavigny not allowed to accompany 
him. 

Newspapers at the American Legation sent by 
Burnside. 

R6sum6 published in the V6riU , which attacks 
the Government for not publishing news. 

October 20 {Evening ).—Letter received from Count 
Bismarck, conveying instructions from Lord Granville 
to leave Paris with the British subjects. 

October 21.—Received a pigeon despatch from 
Lord Lyons instructing me to leave. 

Note to M. Pavre delivered at noon. 


Dear Mother, Paris , October 21, 1870. 

There is a balloon, I hear, which has been waiting 
for a favourable wind for several days, so I write a 
line on the chance of a breeze from the right quarter 




41 


to-morrow. We remain in our usual state of bore¬ 
dom, mixed with occasional bothers, but fortunately, 
hitherto, of no great consequence. The siege may 
last till doomsday, and I should come out as grey as 
the prisoner of Chillon, and perhaps not in as good 
condition; but I hope and think there is a chance of 
my making a bolt of it one of these days. In the 
meantime, you will be glad to hear that I am in 
good feather. I wonder how you all are getting 
on. Colonel Lindsay brought a few papers for the 
American Legation, but there was not much news in 
them. 

Your most affectionate, 

Henry Wodehouse. 


Diary. 

October 22.—Note from M. Favre refusing permis¬ 
sion. Asked for interview with his Excellency. 

October 24—Interview with M. Favre at 5 p.m. 
Permission accorded. 

October 25.—Note to Count Bismarck forwarded 
in the morning. 

October 26 (11 p.m.).— Received answer from 
Count Bismarck. 



42 


October 27.—False start by Porte de Charenton at 
7 a.m. : letter from Count Bismarck received in the 
night having stopped departure of British subjects. 

Extract from La V6rit6 :— 

“Ce matin, vers neuf heures, une longue file de 
voitures sortait par la Porte de Charenton. Ces 
voitures offraient un singulier spectacle; les voitures 
de louage, les voitures de maitre, surchargees de 
malles et de bagages, les chevaux de prix, les 
haquenees maigres et efflanquees se pressaient pele- 
mede. 

"'Les trotteurs noirs du Due de Leuchtenberg, 
neveu de l’Empereur de toutes les Pussies, piaffaient 
a cot^ d’un fiacre. Quelques Anglais a cheval cour- 
aient ga et la sur la route de Charenton, au grand 
scandale des Gardes Nationaux, qui les interrogeaient 
de temps a autre d’un air farouche. 

“ Tout ce remue-menage etait cause par le depart 
des neutres quittant la capitale. Cinquante Ameri- 
cains, vingt Russes s’eloignaient ainsi de nos murs. 

“ Apres avoir franchi la Porte de Chardnton, les 
voitures s’engagerent sur la route de Creteil. On fut 
oblige de faire un detour k la hauteur de ce village, 
dont la grande rue, defendue par une formidable 
barricade, est impraticable, meme pour les pietons. 
Creteil, a ce moment, n’etait occupe par aucun poste 
Erangais. 

Le convoi, continuant sa marche, ne tarda pas k 


43 


rencontrer les avant-postes des Prussiens, lesquels 
nous ont pam assez fortement retranches a Mesly et 
a Montmesly. II fit halte a quelques centaines de 
metres en avant de Bonneuil. 

“ Le Colonel Hoffmann, Premier Secretaire de la 
Legation des Etats-Unis, se trouvait la avec le Comte 
de Hatzfeldt, Officier General de l’Armee Prussienne 
et conseiller intime du Comte de Bismarck. 

“ II fut aussitot proced44 la verification des laisser- 
passer delivres par le Ministre des Etats-Unis. Cette 
operation, conduite avec un soin minutieux, dura plus 
d’une heure et demie. 

“ Les voyageurs eurent alors la liberte de poursuivre 
leur route du cote que bon leur semblerait. 

“ Mais la majeure partie se dirigea vers Versailles, 
esperant 14 obtenir des renseignements sur les moyens 
les plus rapides de se rendre dans leurs pays ou au 
centre de la France. 

“ De Paris 4 Bonneuil le paysage offre un aspect 
d£sol4; peu de maisons sont detruites, mais de 
notre cote elles sont toutes desertes, crenelles,- 
barricades. 

“ Au del4 des avant-postes Prussiens, les habita¬ 
tions qui ont ete abandonnees par leurs proprietaries 
ont ete saccagees, les autres sont scrupuleusement 
respectees, et ne courent d’autre rispue que d’etre 
atteintes par les boulets au jour de la bataille. 

“ De ce cote, les champs n’ont <$te jusqu’ici l’objet 
d’aucune devastation, ils sont encore couverts 


44 


de legumes; les choux et les tomates y sont en 
abondance. 

“ A notre retour, nous avons trouv^ Creteil occup6 
par des soldats de la mobile. 

“ En meme temps que les Russes et les Americains, 
un certain nombre d’Anglais devaient quitter Paris, 
parmi lesquels M. Wodehouse, Premier Secretaire, le 
Colonel Claremont et M. Hore, Attache Militaire. 
M. de Bismarck avait donne l’ordre qu’il fut dresse 
une liste exacte de tous les Anglais qui sollicitaient 
l’autorisation de quitter Paris. 

“ Cette liste ne lui ayant pas, parait-il, ete com- 
muniquee a temps, ou n’ayant pas ete faite selon les 
indications donnees, les Anglais furent obliges de 
rebrousser chemin et de remettre leur voyage a un 
autre jour. 

“ Une nouvelle liste a ete expediee cette semaine 
et leur depart aura lieu, selon toute probability, au 
commencement de la semaine prochaine.” 


October 28.—Second permission accorded by French 
Government. 

October 30 {Sunday ).—Walked in the Bois from 
Porte Maillot to Porte Dauphine. Letter arrived from 
Count Bismarck granting permission for first list of 
British subjects to cross the German lines. M. Thiers 
arrived from Versailles with the terms of armistice 
proposed by the Great Powers. 



45 


October 31.—M. Thiers returned to Versailles. 

“ Journ^e du 31 Octobre.” There have been constant 
applications during the week from British subjects, 
and it has been impossible to make out a complete 
list of them. 

The following extract from the “ Diary of a 
Besieged Besident” gives some idea of the scenes 
which daily occurred at the Embassy:— 

“ When I went upstairs I found Wodehouse sitting 
like patience on a stool, with a number of Britons 
round him, who wanted to get off out of Paris. 
Wodehouse very justly told them that Lord Lyons 
had given them due notice to leave, and that they 
had chosen at their own risk to remain. The Britons 
seemed to imagine that their Embassy was bound to 
find them a road by which they might safely with¬ 
draw from the town. One very important Briton 
was most indignant—‘ I am a man of wealth and 
position. I am not accustomed to be treated in this 
manner. What is the use of you, Sir, if you cannot 
insure my safe passage to England ? If I am killed 
the world shall ring with it. I shall myself make a 
formal complaint to Lord Granville/ said this inco¬ 
herent and pompous donkey. Exit man of position 
fuming, enter unprotected female. Of course she 
was a widow; of course she had lost half-a-dozen 
sons ; of course she kept lodgings; and, of course, 
she wanted her ‘ Hambassader’ generally to take her 


46 


under his wing. I left Wodehouse explaining to her 
that if she went out of Paris even with a pass, she 
•mi ght or might not be shot according to circum¬ 
stances. I will say for him that I should not be as 
patient as he is, were I worried and badgered by the 
hour by a crowd of shrieking women and silly men.” 


Par Ballon MonU. 

Dear Philip, Paris , November 1, 1873. 

One line to re-assure my friends and relatives. 
We have not yet been able to set off, but we have the 
permission all right. Last night we were on the eve 
of a revolution, but it has been put down, and I am 
sanguine that at last these people will listen to 
reason. I have been nearly killed with the work 
and annoyance that I have gone through, but am 
now quite well again and in good spirits. 

Your affectionate, 

Henry Wodehouse. 

November 2. 

Nothing new to-day. There is to be a vote 
to-morrow, “ Oui ou Non,” whether the electors 
of Paris will maintain the Government, and on 
Saturday the municipal elections. People are getting 
rational, I hope, and there is a faint prospect of an 
armistice, and if there is an armistice I imagine there 
will be peace. We have still lots to eat, but there 



47 


must be an end to all this. I expect the National 
Guard are beginning to find it very cold on the 
ramparts at night. I am sorry to see that my poor 
uncle Rebow is dead. We have received some 
newspapers from Versailles. 


Diary. 

November 8.—Letters received from Lord Lyons. 
Permission to leave granted for Tuesday. 


The following letter from the Honourable Alan 
Herbert, shows the steps taken by Mr. Wodehouse 
before he left Paris to assist the British Charitable 
Fund:— 


2, Rue Chauveau , 

Paris , 30 September, 1870. 

My dear Wodehouse, 

I am very grateful for the measures you have 
taken on behalf of the British Charitable Fund in 
Paris. The sum of 500£. which you have left for us 
in Messrs. Rothschild’s hands, to be drawn at my 
discretion for the Society, is a great boon to us. I 
am the more grateful to you that I am aware you 
have placed this sum at our disposal without any 




48 


direct authority from home for so doing,—so that, if 
disavowed, the responsibility would lie entirely with 
you. 

For my own part, I engage not to make use of the 
500/. or any part of it till our other sources are ex¬ 
hausted, and then only on behalf of the poor English 
residing in Paris, to be distributed to them by the 
Committee of the British Charitable Fund. 

With many thanks, 

I have, &c. 

A. Herbert. 


Official Report by Mr. Wodehouse of his journey 
from Paris to Versailles:— 

The Governor of Paris fixed Tuesday, the 8th 
instant, as the day for our departure, and, on the 
morning of that day at 7 A.M., nearly seventy British 
subjects, more than half of them on foot, and about 
as many more Swiss, Austrian, Russian, and American 
subjects left Paris by the Porte de Charenton. After 
a long delay at the Prussian outposts at Creteil, 
where our lists and passports were minutely verified 
and examined, we proceeded on our road under a 
cavalry escort until within a short distance of Brie 
Comte Robert, and entered that town at nightfall. 

Great difficulty was experienced in finding lodg¬ 
ings for the night, and hardly any food was to be 



49 


procured in this unfortunate town, which has been 
laid almost hare by the constant passage of troops 
since the commencement of the siege. 

The next morning I succeeded, -with some diffi¬ 
culty, in procuring three peasant carts, in which and 
in our carriage twenty British subjects, besides the 
persons belonging to the Embassy, were conveyed 
to Corbeil, and on the following day, Thursday, the 
10th instant, to Versailles. 

On my arrival I addressed a note to Count Bis¬ 
marck, transmitting to his Excellency a second list 
of British subjects who are desirous of leaving Paris, 
and asking that the persons named in it might be 
allowed also to pass the Prussian lines. I requested 
that the answer, if favourable, might be communi¬ 
cated to Colonel Claremont, who has remained for the 
present in Paris: and I have since learnt that they 
will be allowed to pass,* but that this is the last 
time that permission will be granted by the Prussian 
military authorities. 

* This information was conveyed' in the following note from 
Baron Hatzfeldt, the head of Count Bismarck’s Chancellerie:— 

“ Cher ami, 

“ Votre liste a heureusement passe ! Le Ministre me charge meme 
de vous dire, si vous aviez omis quelqu’un, de me le nommer sans 
retard, attendu que c’est la derniere occasion d’obtenir la permission 
de sortir. 

“ Vous avez le terns jusqu’a demain matin 10 heures, mais pas 
plus tard. 

“Mille amities, 

“V. Hatzfeldt/* 

E 


50 


Colonel Walker having placed at my disposal 1,000 
francs for the assistance of the destitute British sub¬ 
jects, Captain Hozier and myself made arrangements 
for forwarding them to England vid Havre; and they 
started on their journey on the 13th instant. 

I left Versailles on the 14th vid St. Germain, 
Nantes, Vernon, and Gaillon, from which latter place 
I reached Rouen by railway yesterday morning. 

I intend to start this evening for Havre, and pro¬ 
ceed thence to-morrow night by the steamboat to 
England. 


The following extracts from the letters of the 
Times correspondent at Versailles give an account of 
the arrival of Mr. Wodehouse and his convoy:— 

Head-Quarters , Third Army , 

November 11, 1870. 

Last night Mr. Wodehouse arrived here from Paris, 
after a most tedious journey of three days, by way of 
Brie Comte Robert, Corbeil, &c., bringing with him 
120 or more British subjects. The story of their 
exodus is interesting: the difficulties attendant on it 
were very considerable, and Mr. Washburne, the 
American Minister, who is accredited to the Govern¬ 
ment at Paris, did much to assist Mr. Wodehouse in 
overcoming them in Paris. Colonel Claremont's per¬ 
sonal influence with General Trochuwas also most 



51 


useful. The preparation of the list of names, the 
organization of all the preliminaries, were not the 
least troublesome part of the business, and Mr. Wode- 
house had to act on his own responsibility in con¬ 
tracting debts and procuring money for the necessary 
expenses. The persons who wished to come out, 
most of whom ought to have left long ago, had to 
promise they would not take out papers or letters. 
The list of names was sent into the Bund Kanzlei 
here, and first approved by Count Bismarck, who 
required an assurance that each individual was in¬ 
formed of the conditions, and when they came out 
tills list was compared with that sent to the outposts 
for the reception of the emigrants. More of this 
hereafter, and of the dreary journey round the Prus¬ 
sian lines.—From the Times, November 16,1870. 

November 14, 1870. 

The English emigrants, some of whom looked as if 
they were interested in “ Scott’s lot,” were sent off 
from Versailles to-day. At 8 o’clock I sent off my 
trusted courier to St. Germain, to arrange for their 
departure from that place on the way to Havre. An 
omnibus was hired at Versailles for their conveyance 
to St. Germain, and they left at 10-30 for that place, 
where the courier had with great difficulty procured 
vehicles for their journey. Mr. Wodehouse and 
Captain Hozier started them from Versailles, and the 
courier was furnished by the former with money to 

E 2 


52 


pay the expenses of those who were too poor to pro¬ 
vide for their own conveyance to England;—From 
the Times , November 18, 1870. 


London , November 19, 1870. 

My dear Mother, 

I arrived safe last night. I embarked at Havre on 
Tuesday night, but we got into a fog and had a col¬ 
lision, and only reached Southampton in the evening. 

I am very well in health. I shall have to stay in 
London some days at least, as I have much to do. 

Your most affectionate 

H. W. 


Tours, November 21, 1870. 

My dear Wodehouse,— 

I cannot tell you how great a relief it was to me 
to hear, first by your telegram and then by your letter 
from Eouen, that you were safe out of Paris, and 
delivered from all your troubles. 

* * * * * * 

I think you managed it all very well. 

Most truly yours, 

Lyons. 




53 


Foreign Office,. 

December 7, 1870. 

I AM directed by Earl Granville to acknowledge 
the receipt of your despatch of the 30th ultimo, 
inclosing copies of your correspondence with Lord 
Lyons, M. Jules Favre, and Count Bismarck respect¬ 
ing the arrangements made for the departure of British 
subjects from Paris. 

I am now to convey to you Lord Granville’s 
approval of the steps which you have taken with a 
view to give effect to the arrangement sanctioned by 
the French and Prussian authorities for the above 
object, as well as to provide for the journey to this 
country of such British subjects as were in destitute 
circumstances. 

I am, &c. 

E. Hammond. 


The Honourable Henry Wodehouse. 



54 


On the 28th of January Paris surrendered, and an 
armistice for twenty-one days was signed by Count 
Bismarck and M. Jules Favre. 

Mr. Wodehouse received instructions to return to 
Paris, and left London on the 10th of February. 


Foreign Office, 

Sir, January 31, 1871. 

I am directed by Earl Granville to state to you 
that his Lordship considers it desirable that you 
should at once proceed to Paris; and I am accord- * 
ingly to request that you will make arrangements for 
doing so with the least possible delay. 

Before leaving you will call at this office for 
instructions. 

I am, &c. 

E. Hammond. 

The Honourable Henry Wodehouse. 


Foreign Offixe, 

Sir, February 9, 1871. 

I am directed by Earl Granville to instruct you to 
make arrangements for proceeding to Paris to-morrow 
night. 




55 


You will have the goodness, as already directed, to 
call at this office for instructions before leaving. 

I am, &c. 

E. Hammond. 

The Honourable Henry Wodehouse. 


Dear Philip, Paris, February 12, 1871. 

I arrived last night at 10.30. I found Prince 
Wittgenstein at Charing Cross, and we came on 
together. We had a very bad passage, and on 
arriving at Calais found there would be a train at 
7 A.M., so we started at that hour and got as far as 
Amiens. Here we found the Prussians, and got into 
a regular German train—carriages, conductors, and 
everything pure German from the Cologne line. 
Wittgenstein had a letter of recommendation from 
Bernstorff, and the Prussians were tremendously civil. 
We left this train, which goes to Gonesse, at Creil, 
and found a French train which brought us to 
Pontoise; here the bridge was broken down, and we 
had to go over a bridge of boats on foot. The 
luggage was carried, and how we got everything 
safely across in the dark was a marvel. On the 
other side we found another train and so got on to 
Paris. Wittgenstein was very energetic, and I don’t 
think alone I should have got through; there are no 



5G 


regular trains, and you get on how you can. As 
regards the Germans everything is perfectly in order, 
but with the French it is all bewilderment and 
scrimmage. The only way was to watch for a tyain, 
and then find out from the conductor where it was 
going to, and get in accordingly, if there seemed a 
probability of its taking one in the direction of Paris. 
No tickets taken or asked for, and my passport was 
never looked at after Calais. There were, of course, 
no carriages at the station, so we had to leave the 
luggage and start off and walk. It was a curious 
entry. The night was bitterly cold—but there were 
crowds of people in the streets—but no carriages and 
very little light. The caf4s in the Boulevards were 
open, and the women sitting in them as usual. We 
stopped at Peter’s, and had supper in a cabinet. The 
place was crowded, youths in uniform, women dancing 
and singing and kicking up an awful row, rather a 
sorry spectacle under the circumstances. There 
seems to be plenty of food in the town, at all events 
for the rich. I found a bed at the Vouillemont. To¬ 
day I have driven to the convent where Lord Lyons’ 
niece is, and talked to her through the grille. Five 
shells fell in the convent, but fortunately nobody 
was hurt. This quarter near the Pantheon was the 
jne most injured, but though I looked hard I could 
not see anything of the damage, which cannot be 
great. I dined at Bignon’s, with Blount, Russell of 
the Times , and Oliphant ; the dinner was dear, but 


57 


nearly as good as usual. Rich people seem to have 
got on very well, but the other classes suffered a good 
deal from the scarcity of food. I expect that the 
bad bread hastened the capitulation much more than 
the Prussian shells. They say about 500 people were 
injured, but not much effect was produced on so 
large a population. The provisioning is going on all 
right now, I believe, but the distress must be very 
great, and the number of beggars about is appalling. 
The Ultras are frantic with the Government, and 
still talk of fighting, but that is all gammon. It is 
true the Beds have carried the elections, but I doubt 
if they will fight any one, even amongst themselves, 
if things are tolerably managed. I expect they have 
no spirit now for anything. In the north the elections 
are all in favour of the Orleanists; and here it is 
thought pretty generally, I believe, by reasonable 
people, that an Orleanist restoration is the most 
probable result, perhaps with a Regency at first 
under the Due d’Aumale, as it was in Spain, but I 
do not of course know at all what is the state of 
affairs in other parts of France, or how far the 
opinions expressed here may be correct, as the public 
is still very much in the dark here, few letters being 
allowed to come in by post and no newspapers. 

The ruin in France must be something awful. The 
Prussians have been most careful and thorough in 
their system of pillage. I have heard of one case in 
which they took away the insides of the clocks in a 


58 


country house, leaving the heavy cases. If one wants 
to buy old things, one will have to go to Berlin to 
find them. 

Your affectionate, 

Henry Wodehouse. 


My dear Philip, Paris , February 19, 1871. 

I have sent the letter, and inclose what I suppose 
is the answer. I am much relieved by West’s* 
arrival, and things are going on smoothly. I have 
been to-day in the Bois to see the state of things ; 
the devastation at St. Cloud is awful, and there is a 
good deal worth seeing about the Point du Jour, the 
quarter nearest to the batteries at Sevres. I went 
along the river opposite St. Cloud and Sevres ; it is 
very interesting. I hope to be able to go to Versailles 
to-morrow, and look up the Russell family, Odo and 
the Doctor. You had better come over, and see the 
Prussians march in, unless you are afraid of being 
potted in the streets, but I expect the Parisians are 
too much funked to kick up a row. 

Your affectionate, 

Henry Wodehouse. 

P.S.—Tell M-I have sent a commissionnaire 

with the letter he sent me for some place in the 
country. 


* Hon. Lionel West, then Secretary of Embassy at Paris. 




59 


My dear Philip, Paris , February 22, 1871. 

I went to Versailles on Sunday, and stayed with 
the Doctor,* who entertained a select party in the 
evening to dinner. He drove me down to St. Cloud 
in the afternoon; the greater part of the town is a 
most picturesque ruin. There seems to be no doubt 
that the Prussians are coming in, report says on 
Sunday, and that they will pass by the Champs 
Elys4es and Rue de Rivoli, and stay in the town 
forty-eight hours. It will be touch and go, but 
I have backed my opinion that there will not be a 
row. No doubt one madman may bring it on, and 
every one is talking of what is in store for the 
Prussians, but the Parisian talk I have no belief in 
whatever now, and it rather inclines me the other 
way. Still it will be a very bad time for the respec¬ 
table inhabitants, as no doubt the Prussians will be 
only too glad of a pretext for pillage, and so will the 
patriots of Belleville. On Monday I dined with the 
provision distributors, Moore, Wortley, Herbert, Oli- 
phant, and others, and on my way home I passed one 
of the Mairies, where the distribution takes place, 
near the Bourse. There was an immense crowd of 
women waiting in a queue; some had been there 
already forty hours! It was a curious sight, there 
must have been several thousands of them. The 

* Dr. Russell, Correspondent of the “Times’' at the Prussian 
head-quarters. 


60 


distribution commenced at daybreak, but I under¬ 
stand that is now to go on all through the night. 

Your affectionate, 

Henry Wodehouse. 


Dear Philip, Paris , February 24, 1871. 

We are still in the dark as to what is going on, 
and I don’t think anything is settled. 

Washburne has just been here ; he says the French 
ought to have divided their forces into seven parts, 
hammered away every night somehow and some¬ 
where, and thus have worn out the Prussians. Trochu 
was not man enough for the situation; if he had 
been, he would have been Emperor I suppose by this 
time. The state of things into which the United 
States have again subsided quietly after their war 
would evidently never be possible here. Did you 
hear that Bismarck had described Paris as “une 
maison de fous habite par des singes?”. Paris is 
beginning, however, to be habitable again, and in a 
few days we shall, no doubt, have gas. If you intend 
coming it is a pity you don’t do so before it entirely 
loses its present appearance. In all probability it 
would now not be possible to get here before the 
Prussians. Some people think we shall get up in 
the morning and find them walking about the streets ; 



61 


it would be a very good idea. There is a good story 
about a man who went to see his villa near Paris, and 
finding the doors and windows gone, came back and 
returned with new ones made in Paris. His astonish¬ 
ment was great at finding doors and windows already 
there. It appeared that the General had moved his 
quarters there, and had had the house fitted up with 
doors and windows selected from the houses in the 
neighbouring ’village. This is, I believe, founded on 
fact. Another person found everything in perfect 
order in his house, even the piano in good tune ; he 
expressed his surprise to the officer installed there. 
“ Yes,” said the latter, “ I have taken the greatest 
care of the instrument, as it was such a good one. I 
fear, however, that it may suffer by the journey.” 
“ What journey V “ The journey to Berlin; we are 
going to have the things packed to-morrow.” I send 
over my watch, which has stopped; please send it to 
Jump’s to be set right, and forward it back to me 
when there is an opportunity. I have papers sent to 
Thomsett now, and he forwards them daily. I shall, 
therefore, not have any sent to the Foreign Office, 
except a weekly one. 

Your affectionate, 

Henry Wodehouse. 

P.S.—I am now living in the big house; if you 
come you could have my room near the Chancery. 


62 


Tuesday night. 

We are on the tip-toe of expectation. The 
Prussians are announced to come in at 10 o’clock, so 
I am going to bed in order to be in time to receive 
them. It is impossible to say how it will go off, but 
I incline to the opinion that there will be no row. 


My dear Philip, Paris , March 1, 1871. 

The Prussians have come in. It was supposed 
they would enter at 10 A.M., and I got up early to 
see them, but before I had left my room the news 
came that they had arrived, and on looking out of 
one of the front windows of the Embassy, .there they 
were in front of the Exhibition building in the 
Champs Elysees; so I walked out and saw them as 
they had just arrived, at about half-past nine. First 
were a few hussars, then a battalion of Prussians, 
then some more small detachments of cavalry and 
infantry. They were very quiet and orderly. I 
walked up to the Avenue de la Grande Armee to 
Corbett’s house, where I found Oliphant and others, 
who had seen them arrive from Neuilly, as you will 
duly have read in the Times. There were not 
many people about, but on the way back a lot of 
gamins and canaille had collected and were hunting 
some unfortunate women who were said to have been 
speaking to the Prussians, and doing more damage in 



63 


the gardens and places about the Alcazar, a disgusting 
spectacle from which I was glad to escape into the 
Embassy garden. On the other side of the house, in 
the Eaubourg St. Honord, I found strong bodies of 
French troops drawn up and the end of the Rue 
Roy ale barricaded. I breakfasted at Voisin’s, where 
the shutters were closed, as in almost all other houses 
and shops. A good many people were walking about 
in the streets, but there was little talking and an air 
of quiet sadness which is very depressing. The rest 
of the German troops, said to be 30,000 in number, 
came in about two o’clock, after being reviewed at 
Longchamps by the Emperor, and marched down the 
Champs Elysees, bands playing and colours flying. 
The larger number seemed to be Bavarians. The 
process of billeting soon commenced; the nearest 
point to the Embassy where they are quartered is the 
Rue de l’Elysee. The mob is down on any one seen 
speaking to the Germans, and several people have 
been roughly treated, amongst others Mr. Eorbes, of 
the Daily News , who was taken to the Mairie, 
whence I got him released. Russell, of the Times , 
rode into the Embassy at one o’clock en route for the 
station, where he has got a special train waiting to 
take him to England; he will put together on the 
road the reports made this morning by the numerous 
Times correspondents, so that they may appear in 
print to-morrow. It has been a very exciting day, 
and one has really felt as if sitting on a volcano, and 


64 


I still feel rather nervous as to what may happen in 
the night. There is a report that the preliminaries 
have been ratified at Bordeaux, and that orders to 
sign will immediately be received by Jules Favre. 
I hope so, for I shall not be sorry to see the end of 
the present state of things, which is, to say the least 
of it, uncomfortable. 

Your affectionate, 

Henry Wodehouse. 


Dear Philip, March 3, 1871. 

The Germans went out again early this morning. 
I had had quite enough of them. Yesterday they 
were as thick as fleas all over the Champs Elysees 
quarter. It was a curious sight enough, but monoto¬ 
nous. A band played in the afternoon in front of the 
Exhibition building. There were a good many 
French walking about, and they were beginning, I 
fancy, to think it rather amusing than otherwise. I 
went into the Champs Elysees again after dinner at 
about half-past ten in the evening and found the 
streets almost deserted, a few sentries, a picket or 
two snoring on the grass plots, no light and no sound; 
the night was very dark, and altogether it was 
extremely miserable. 

There will probably be some rows to-day, indeed I 



65 


have heard that they have begun already, but the 
authorities will, I expect, easily put them down. 

Your affectionate, 

Henry Wodehouse. 


Paris , Sunday Evening , 

My dear Philip, March 12,1871. 

Lord Lyons will be here on Tuesday morning. I 
hear an arrangement has been come to with the 
rioters of Montmartre. I think they will give up 
their cannon to-morrow. 

Your affectionate, 

Henry Wodehouse. 


Lord Lyons returned to Paris on the 14th of 
March. 

On the 13th an unsuccessful attempt was made to 
seize the cannon held by the National Guard at 
Montmartre, and in the evening of the same day the 
troops were withdrawn from Paris, and M. Thiers, 
with the other members of the Government, retired 
to Versailles. Lord Lyons was instructed to follow 
them, and Mr. Wodehouse accompanied him to 
Versailles, where he remained until the fall of the 
Commune. 


F 





66 


My dear Philip, Versailles, April 2, 1871. 

I went again into town on Thursday, and dined 
with Bitters. I was much disappointed with the 
barricades, which are wretched things. I expected to 
see them up to the first-floor windows. On my way 
back at night by train, I was questioned and 
examined by the Insurgents, who were, however, 
civil, when they saw my passport, and wished me a 
bon voyage. 

This was the last train which left by the Rue 
Droite; next day the trains ceased by this line, and 
a laissez-passer has been required to come out by 
road. The trains by the Rive Gauche have continued 
running. It is not so very unpleasant here ; there is 
plenty of society, a club, and the rides and drives are 
pleasant. Our lodging is very bad, but we feed well, 
having got fortunately a kitchen and chef. It must 
be much worse being in Paris, which seems to be 
quite deserted. 


April 4. 

At last the event has come off. It is a relief after 
the state of suspense which we have been in for the 
last ten days. Every one was very despondent here, 
thinking that the troops would not fight, in spite of 
the confidence expressed all the time by M. Thiers, 
who has been very reticent as to his plans of action. 
The affair at Courbevoie on the 2nd was a small one, 


67 


but it showed that the troops were disposed to act. I 
saw the prisoners brought in late in the day, and a 
more villainous-looking lot I cannot imagine. 

Yesterday, as soon as it was known that the Insur¬ 
gents were making their grand sortie, I started off on 
horseback for Marly, but unfortunately the fighting 
on that side was over before I got there. It was 
curious to see the French troops occupying the 
former Prussian positions. I went thence to Montre- 
tout, and from the redoubt could see the artillery fire 
upon Chatillon, Issy, and other forts occupied by the 
Insurgents. 

The engagement at Meudon was of course over, 
and it was too late to get near enough to see any¬ 
thing, so I returned to Versailles. It was unfortu¬ 
nate that I did not go that way in the morning, as I 
should really have seen a fight. 

It seems to have been rather severe at Meudon. 

What an extraordinary thing it is that these people 
will fight their own countrymen but not the Prus¬ 
sians ! Fighting is expected to go on to-day near 
Chatillon, which is still in the hands of the Insur¬ 
gents. I think the Government have now got the 
game in their hands, but it will be a difficult matter 
to disarm the National Guard when inside Paris. 

Your affectionate, 

Henry Wodehouse. 



68 


My dear Philip, Versailles, April 15, 1871. 

The cannonading goes on briskly, and more 
destruction is being perpetrated than was effected 
by the Germans. I forget whether I told you 
that I rode to Chatillon directly after the sortie. 
I did not actually see the action, but I saw a good deal 
of the operations—the reserves being brought up, the 
prisoners brought in, the bodies of Duval and others 
who had just been shot. I was near enough to see 
what a bursting shell was like, to say nothing of 
several which whizzed over my head. Next day I 
went to Meudon, where I had the same experience 
of shells, and could see the artillery firing and some¬ 
thing of the skirmishing below in the woods. I also 
went to Courbevoie, and saw the fighting at Neuilly. 
Of course, I only had a somewhat distant view, but 
as it was all new to me, it was interesting enough. 
Without going quite under fire, I see clearly that it 
is impossible to really witness a fight, and now that 
the firing is more extended, it is difficult to see any¬ 
thing without running considerable risk, so*I suppose 
my military experiences are over. All the world is 
here, but there is nothing in the way of amusement, 
except rides and drives in the environs, which begin 
to pall, though the weather is fortunately delicious, 
and the country very green and pretty. I begin to 
know the whole neighbourhood by heart. There are 
troops enough here in all conscience, but Thiers is 


69 


waiting for more; he wishes to have 140,000 men. 
The British tourist has been here, of course, repre¬ 
sented by Anson, Brackenbury, Colonel Baker, 
Campbell of Islay, and others. There are also some 
American citizens, and it might be sociable, but as 
no one has more than a whole bed-room, society is 
rather difficult to organize. Lord Lyons has been to 
Paris to-day, partly, I suppose, on account of his 
niece. Did you see the paragraph in the Mot d’ Or dr e 
insinuating that the vieux sdUrat had got a harem of 
nuns at the Embassy? By the way, the Turkish 
Embassy has been tremendously shelled; the Military 
Attachd, who thinks it his duty to go on living 
there, is in terror of his life. I hope your father got 
his note. 

Your affectionate, 

Henry Wodehouse. 


Dear Philip, Versailles , April 13, 1871. 

For the third or fourth time since we have been 
here Thiers announces that he is going to begin 
operations in a week. In the meantime he and the 
Insurgents together are battering down Paris and 
slaughtering the inhabitants at their leisure. Supplies 
are also to be cut off as much as possible, so they 
are also to be starved slowly to death—a pleasant 



70 


prospect. I am sorry for Bitters, and I almost think 
he would do well to cut it, but he will probably 
not have any difficulty in getting away later if he 
wishes. 

Your affectionate, 

Henry Wodeiiouse. 


My dear Philip, Versailles, April 27, 1871. 

They say to-day that Issy is silenced. I shall 
go to-morrow and see for myself. If so, the fire 
must have been much better than yesterday, and 
our chance of getting back to Paris is not so remote 
as I thought it. Still the job, I fear, will be a long 
and heavy one, and I have little confidence in “ le 
petit executif,” as Bochefort calls him. The weather 
has been pleasant, and the gardens are in great 
beauty. 

Your affectionate, 

Henry Wodehouse. 


My dear Philip, Versailles, April 29, 1871. 

This wretched state N of things goes on without 
much change; the batteries opened on the forts three 
days ago, and the fashionable world goes in the 




71 


afternoon to Montretout to see the practice. By all 
accounts the insurgents have had hitherto rather the 
best of it; their pieces are heavier and their aim 
straighter, and the battery at Breteuil, in the park of 
St. Cloud, appears to have been silenced. The 
military are very despondent and they talk of having 
to make regular approaches, so that the end is far off, 
unless the Government can succeed in bribing the 
insurgents, or a successful assault is made, which is 
not at all likely. From the first the Government 
has made an awful mess of it, and the mismanage¬ 
ment will probably continue. Attention is now fixed 
on the municipal elections to take place on Sunday; 
how they will go on is quite uncertain, and it seems 
to me that a general civil war all over France is quite 
on the cards; and I cannot believe that the present 
situation can last much longer without further com¬ 
plications and disorders taking place. The Commune 
seems to be losing its authority, and the mob is 
beginning to run a muck: they talk of destroying 
some of the rich quarters, and some churches and 
monuments. A heavy fine is also to be levied on 
the railway companies. Meanwhile, frightful havoc 
is caused by the bombardment. Neuilly is nearly in 
as bad a state as St. Cloud. Provisions are getting 
scarce in Paris, and as the roughs will, of course, seize 
what they want themselves, the other inhabitants are 
in a fair way to be starved. The investment is now 
reported to be complete; if it was to be effected, it is 


72 


a mystery to me why it was not begun long ago, at all 
events by cutting the railways. There was an 
effective speech by M. Thiers, and an exciting debate 
in the Assembly yesterday, which is amusingly 
described by the Gaulois. It depicts the members 
of the left gesticulating, rushing to the tribune and 
being held back by their friends in a most amusing 
manner. The scene on these occasions is most 
absurd; it is like Bedlam let loose. I wonder if it is 
true that Bismarck has interceded with the Com¬ 
mune for the Archbishop of Paris at the request of 
Dr. Manning. Certain priests came here to interest 
the Embassies in his favour. They had left Paris en 
bourgeois , and these dignitaries of the Church, 
chanoines, vicaires, &c., dressed in very vulgar, dirty 
clothes, and with their beards half grown, looked like 
very low billiard markers. The “little executive” 
still goes on playing the general, to the disgust of the 
military : he goes to the trenches, reviews regiments, 
and visits ambulances. I suppose we shall read it 
all in a history of twenty or thirty volumes one of 
these days. He is certainly a vigorous old man, and 
I conclude he will succeed in the end, and it is some¬ 
thing to he a statesman at all, however bad a one. 
The French Diplomats are in a dreadful way. All 
the old representatives at the tolerable posts have 
been turned out, and their places filled by mostly 
unknown Monarchists. We shall live to see the day 
when France talks with regret of the reign of 


73 


Badinguet the Good. I see in the correspondence 

about Mr. W-, that that worthy speaks of me. I 

send you a Memorandum which will explain the 
matter. Will you keep it, and produce it if requisite ? 
The Prussians seem to have treated him with their 
usual brutality, but they were more or less dans 
leur droit. 

Your affectionate, 

Henry Wodehouse. 


Memorandum. 

Versailles , April 29, 1871. 

Mr. y\r -presented himself at the Embassy, and 

informed me that he was going to leave Paris in a 
balloon, and offered to take despatches to England. 

I declined his offer, but gave him a letter of my 
own, and also one at the request of a private person. 
He said he should take his departure immediately, 
and as I heard nothing more of him, I concluded he 
had done so. 

This was some timp before permission had been 
granted to British subjects to leave Paris. 

I afterwards heard that he had again called at the 
Embassy in my absence, shortly after the list of 





74 


British subjects desiring to cross the Prussian lines 
had been closed, and then it was no longer possible 
to include any one else in it. 

Henry Wodehouse. 


Dear Philip, Versailles, May 1, 1871. 

I forgot to put the inclosed in yesterday. The 
Government troops are very nearly into Issy, and 
things look certainly brighter. I saw the troops 
working yesterday in the trenches, and they were 
quite close to the fort. It remains to be seen whether 
the insurgents will fight to the last; if they do, it will 
still be a long and nasty business before it is over.' 

Your affectionate, 

Henry Wodehouse. 


My dear Philip, May 9* 1871. 

The assault is expected to come off in the course 
of the next twenty-four hours, if Thiers does not 
interfere in the meantime with MacMahon’s plans. 
He has an attack of rheumatism, which it is hoped 
will keep him quiet. I hope the assault may be 
successful. On it depend our hopes, as far as the 
Embassy is concerned, of getting back to Paris, as, 




75 


of course, if the Prussians take the place, which they 
will not he sorry, I expect, to do, if the French fail, 
we shall have to go elsewhere. I am not sanguine, 
but there is a fair chance of success. Conolly thinks 
there is no doubt the troops will fight well, but the 
attack will have to be a sharp one to be successful, 
and I cannot help fearing that they may not have 
got it in them. It will probably be by the Bois 
near Auteuil. 


My dear Philip, Versailles, May 26, 1871. 

We may congratulate ourselves on having seen 
Paris before its destruction. I have been contem¬ 
plating the burning daily from Meudon. Yesterday 
I counted nine distinct large fires in separate quarters, 
and saw and heard several tremendous explosions. 
At this rate there will soon be little left of the whole 
place. I always anticipated a dreadful catastrophe 
at last, Thiers by his temporizing having given them 
so much rope, and I never had any hopes of these 
desperate ruffians condng to any sort of terms. The 
town at last was completely in the hands of Pyat, 
Delescluze, and such men, who were simply madmen. 
I don’t know whether I told you that we happened, 
with our glasses, to see the first troops enter Paris at 
the Porte de St. Cloud. The whole of that quarter 



76 


having been long before shelled into a cocked hat, it 
is a wonder that they did not go in sooner, as there 
was evidently nothing to keep them out. I have 
been to see the trenches and works of approach which 
are very elaborate, and which were made most 
systematically, and apparently were works of superero¬ 
gation under the circumstances ; they are very inter¬ 
esting, however, to examine. 

I have sent to inquire about Julienne; I hope that 
that end of the Palais Royal has not been burnt. 

By the way, I see that 230£., which you say the 
Foreign Office has granted to me, has not reached 
Glyn’s, nor the money for the account I sent in for 
journey expenses. Pray how is one supposed to get 
one’s money ? 

Your affectionate, 

Henry Wodehouse. 


My dear Philip, Versailles, May 27, 1871. 

I have just received the inclosed from Julienne. 
Please communicate it to the Mai-maitre. 

I have not been able to go into Paris yet, and pro¬ 
bably shall not do so for many days. The Govern¬ 
ment wishes to stop all egress and ingress for the 
present, and to - day the consigne is stricter than 



77 


ever; of course I could get a pass, but by all accounts 
it is most disagreeable inside, as one runs the risk of 
being arrested either as an insurgent or to pass 
buckets. We have been much persecuted by the 
British tourist, who, however, has been punished 
severely for his curiosity. A hussar, by name 
Hartopp, and his friend were made to pass buckets 
from 7 in the evening till 3 in the morning. Some 
Engineer officers who would wear their uniforms, 
though told not to do so by Conolly, went into Paris 
and were taken as insurgents and stuck on a barricade 
by the troops to be shot at. Another on the way 
back was pushed by accident among a crowd of 
prisoners, and so marched into Versailles ; and we 
have just learnt that four more, also in uniform, have 
been detained at Nogent-sur-Marne, by the Germans 
1 suppose, and are now in custody there. 

Your affectionate, 

Henry Wodehouse. 






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